21 amazing old Edinburgh pictures showing what life was like in Portobello back in the 1970s and 1980s

By Gary Flockhart

Lifestyle Editor

Published 9th Jun 2024, 04:55 BST

These are 21 photos showing Edinburgh's seaside suburb in the 70s and 80s

Today, we’re looking at the Portobello district as it was in the 1970s and 1980s – to see just how much Edinburgh’s famous seaside suburb has changed since then.

Porty looks very different today to how it did back then, as these 21 incredible photographs show.

Take a look at our photo gallery for a nostalgia trip back to Portobello in the 70s and 80s – and let us know your own memories in the comments section before you go.

Take a look at our photo gallery for a nostalgia trip back to Portobello in the 70s and 80s.

1. Portobello in the 1970s and 1980s

Take a look at our photo gallery for a nostalgia trip back to Portobello in the 70s and 80s. Photo: Third Party

Warm weather brought people out to Portobello beach in May 1989, where a little girl gets a pony ride.

2. Portobello 1989

Warm weather brought people out to Portobello beach in May 1989, where a little girl gets a pony ride. Photo: TSPL

Locals dressed in historical costume for a splash in the sea during the Portobello 'Victorian Splash' in June 1989.

3. Victorian Splash at Portobello 1989

Locals dressed in historical costume for a splash in the sea during the Portobello 'Victorian Splash' in June 1989. Photo: TSPL

Boarded-up shop fronts in Bath Street, February 1981.

4. Bath Street 1981

Boarded-up shop fronts in Bath Street, February 1981. Photo: TSPL

Portobello Edinburgh

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